


It's The Most WondELFul Time Of The Year

by cafephan



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, teenage!phan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-05-05 07:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5366927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cafephan/pseuds/cafephan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Phil volunteers himself and Dan as elves at the local Santa’s Grotto.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's The Most WondELFul Time Of The Year

“I can’t believe we’ve fully decked out your house and it’s only the first of December” Dan shook his head in disbelief as he looked around Phil’s living room, flicking his gaze from one Christmas decoration to the next, and eventually settling on his grinning boyfriend.

“Yeah it’s a good thing my parents are away for the week, they usually don’t put up the decorations until the second week, and frankly I couldn’t live with that oppression for another year” Phil replied, placing a hand on his hip and placing the other to his heart, feigning sadness.

Dan rolled his eyes playfully and walked over to Phil, cupping his hands around the other boy’s face and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “You know, if they’re away for the _whole_ week, we could certainly make use of that time” he whispered, adopting his most sultry tone of voice, causing Phil to blush deeply, and Dan didn’t miss seeing Phil lick his lips, his offer clearly not being declined.

Phil attempted to reply, a string of single syllable failures, but eventually settled for kissing Dan deeply, hoping the gesture would speak on his behalf. Dan certainly seemed to think so as he melted into the kiss, but when they pulled apart, and Phil’s gaze was focused on the other end of the room, Dan couldn’t help but smile.

“So that was as good for you as it was for me?” he asked sarcastically, and Phil blinked out of his stare and made eye contact, the blush only intensifying.

“I was, um, thinking about your eyes” Phil mumbled, and Dan bit his lip to suppress his laughter.

“Because you definitely weren’t thinking about how out of place that tinsel I put around the mirror looks, right?” he asked, and Phil smirked and padded over to fix the tinsel – which was, by the way, moving it literally two centimetres to the right, barely noticeable – and Dan spun on his heels to watch as Phil did so, and smiled fondly at how much of a perfectionist Phil was it came to the Christmas season.

Phil stood staring at the tinsel for at least twenty seconds, cocking his head to different sides and angles to check it was perfect, then, once he was satisfied, ran back over and wrapped his arms around Dan’s neck and kissed him passionately again, as an apology he still couldn’t articulate.

“It’s so adorable, how excited you still are at all this Christmas stuff” Dan mused as Phil flicked his gaze upwards, and Dan followed suit, soon greeted with the sight of a sprig of mistletoe hanging above them, that he didn’t know was there until that very second. Phil was grinning widely when they made eye contact again. “See, this is what I mean” he pointed up to the mistletoe and Phil giggled.

“You think it’s a good thing? At eighteen years old?” Phil asked, biting his lip.

Dan nodded vigorously, and Phil took it as his cue.

“Good because I volunteered us down at the shopping centre and we’re meant to be there in twenty minutes” he rushed the announcement out in half the time it should have taken him, but as he attempted to make his dash into the hallway, the gentle grasp on his wrist forced him to turn back around.

“What do you mean volunteering us down at the shopping centre?” Dan asked, and Phil swallowed thickly.

“At the grotto” he replied with a small smile, and he watched on as Dan’s eyes widened.

“Phil” he complained, elongating the vowel sound, but he loosened his grip, and Phil took his chance to escape and scurried into the hallway in pursuit of his coat and scarf.

It took at least ten minutes for Phil to be overall happy with his appearance before he left the mirror and headed back in the direction of the living room, only to find Dan leaning against the doorframe, watching him, clearly not having moved more than five steps since Phil had left.

“You realise I’m not doing this” he told Phil, and Phil shook his head.

“You have to!” Phil insisted, a whine in his tone, which made Dan smirk.

“I don’t _have_ to do anything. I don’t _have_ to be staying with you for the whole of this week” he replied, emphasis on ‘have’ both times.

“You begged me to let you stay, you can’t turn that one on me, that was all you! I’d be more than happy to be here alone” Phil shrugged, and Dan laughed.

“Yeah that is true, isn’t it, I probably could’ve chosen a better example” he admitted, “but honestly I’m not doing this elf thing”

Phil grabbed his novelty Christmas pudding beanie from the radiator and pulled it over Dan’s head, causing the brunet to jump in surprise. “Sure you are, you’re practically ready” he smiled, and Dan pulled the hat off and held it between them.

“You know what an elf is, right? And you know that this,” he wiggled the hat around, “is a Christmas pudding, not what elves stroll around in” Dan’s sarcasm was nothing but amusing to Phil, and he knew, from experience, just how to make it work in his favour.

Phil stuck out his bottom lip and it took only a few seconds for Dan to stop laughing at his own ‘joke’. “Please don’t do the pouty sad act, please” Dan pleaded, but Phil continued, keeping his stare steady and making his bottom lip quiver slightly. Occasionally, he batted his eyelashes, just for added effect.

Eventually, Dan groaned in surrender. “Fine, you win, I’ll go” he mumbled, before walking down the hallway to where his coat and shoes were. Phil smiled at hearing “so bloody whipped” as Dan walked past him.

Phil waited patiently as Dan got ready, and passed the time by fixing various decorations that lined the hallway that he knew didn’t need to be touched anymore, but he was such a Christmas fanatic he wanted every little thing to be perfect.

“I’m ready” Dan eventually called as he made his way towards the front door, and Phil put a hand to his mouth when he saw him. Dan was bundled in at least two scarves, Phil’s duffle coat, snow boots and probably thermals somewhere. He looked cute, there was no denying, but it was a slight exaggeration.

“You can’t be too careful!” Dan defended as he walked over to Phil, and Phil shook his head in agreement, biting his lip to stop laughing.

When Dan sighed, Phil brought their lips together for a long, tender kiss, one which left Dan blushing afterwards. “Listen, after we’ve done today, when we get back, we can do _whatever_ you want, okay?” he proposed, and Dan’s eyes involuntarily widened as he licked his lips and nodded, almost autonomously, his teenage hormones answering for him.

“Besides, if you really don’t like it, we don’t have to do the other three days” Phil added casually as they began walking down Phil’s street, and Dan pulled Phil to a standstill.

“It’s a four day job?” he asked, deadpan, and Phil simply smiled and shrugged, before returning to his rhythmic stroll.

“You’re really starting to push your luck, Lester” Dan called with a smile as he ran to catch up.

\--

“Why can’t we be going to the cookie stall, or Shakeaway, or-“

“We’re here!” Phil interrupted cheerfully, cutting Dan off mid-rant. He squeezed Dan’s hand as he nodded towards the huge Santa’s Grotto in the middle of the shopping centre, as if Dan could have missed it.

“Whoopee” Dan muttered to himself as Phil eagerly pulled him inside and towards the woman dressed in a festive playsuit in the corner of the room.

At hearing the creaking of the door opening she snapped her head up and looked the two boys up and down, which she did for a few seconds before actually acknowledging them verbally.

“You’re the volunteers, I take it?” her voice was cold and unwelcoming, the exact opposite of the kind of tone Phil would expect someone working with children to carry.

“Um, yes” he replied, and the woman nodded, and got two packages out of the cupboard next to her and placed one into Dan and Phil’s arms, barely giving them chance to break their hands apart.

“You’ll have to get changed in the toilets at the entrance, we don’t have anywhere here” she instructed, not bothering to look at the two.

“But that’s at least a two minute walk” Dan observed, and the woman shrugged, still not bothering to look at him.

“I don’t make the rules, kid. I just enforce them. Make it quick, we’re going to have kids coming in about thirty minutes” her voice was sterner then before, and incredibly intimidating. Dan and Phil both hurried out of the Grotto and made their way towards the toilets, carrying the packages under their arms.

“Lovely job you’ve got us here, Phil, truly” Dan commented with a head-shake, sarcasm dripping from his tone and balling his fists, the woman they encountered was truly aggravating.

“Don’t let her ruin this for you, she’s obviously not going to be interacting with people like us” Phil replied, still as chirpy as before. Although he could only hope what he said would be the case, being around that woman for hours on end would dampen even the highest of spirits. “Plus, I bet the costume will look cute on you” he predicted, and Dan shook his head again.

“I’ll look stupid, Phil, it’s an elf costume. They’re not known for walking in fashion shows”

Phil smiled to himself as they momentarily parted ways into separate cubicles.

\--

“I told you I’d look stupid!” Dan called from the cubicle beside Phil, and Phil smoothed out his own costume, unsure of how he felt about it. Without an accurate reflection, he couldn’t be too sure.

“I’m sure you look adorable!” Phil called back, and he heard the cubicle beside him creak open, and the distinct ring of the bells correspond with the footsteps.

After placing the drooping hat firmly on his head, Phil unlocked the door and stepped out, somehow still being shocked at how the bells on the costume’s shoes rang as he moved. The bell on the tip of the hat also rang with every step, they were basically walking one-man-bands.

Dan was sat in between the sinks, and his mouth dropped open when his gaze landed on Phil.

“How the hell have you managed to pull this off when I look like a ninety-year old trying to relive his golden years” he furrowed his eyebrows as he reflected on his simile.

“That makes no sense” Phil laughed, and Dan jumped back down, every bell on the costume ringing erratically as he landed. He flicked his fringe out of his eyes and huffed in frustration.

“I look stupid, just like I knew I would” he mumbled, rubbing his hands over his face.

“I think-“

“Don’t you even bother trying to argue here, Phil,” Dan interjected, “just look at me!” he threw his arms down by his sides – causing the bells on the sleeves of the costume to rattle as he did so, and the sound caused the flushed brunet to huff in annoyance once again. “There is no way I am walking out of these toilets, in public, wearing this abomination”

“Wear your coat over the top of it” Phil suggested, and Dan pointed down towards his feet.

“Phil, I’m wearing striped knee-high socks and bell-trimmed curly shoes. I don’t think a coat will save this monstrosity” Dan shot back in rebuttal, and Phil rolled his eyes.

“Well you do what you want, I’m going to get back before the terrifying woman kills us, have fun” Phil stated as he spun around and reached for the door handle, but a ‘wait’ from Dan caused him to stop mid-reach.

“How do you always know what to say even when you don’t mean to?” Dan asked as he picked up his clothes and bundled them in his arms, walking over to Phil.

“It’s a gift. But, when you’re good you’ll get a treat” Phil replied, and leaned up to kiss his boyfriend sweetly.

A few seconds later, the words processed in Dan’s mind. “Wait, I’m not a freaking dog, Phil”

Phil tipped his hand in a 50/50 gesture. “Well, I don’t know, you do beg a lot…”

“Alright, alright. Let’s just get this damn thing over with”

\--

“You’re late, don’t let it happen again,” the woman reprimanded, prompting Dan and Phil to share a wide-eyed glance, “but we don’t have any time to talk. You,” she pointed to Phil, “are outside, talking to the kids and parents, getting them excited and walking them in. You,” she pointed to Dan, “stay in here in case Tony needs anything. Don’t speak to anyone”

She then walked out of the building with Phil without giving them a chance to even wave goodbye, but Dan was far too busy just being in awe of the woman’s lack of manners. She had basically fobbed him off in terms of job responsibility – namely, he had none. Also, he had no idea who this Tony was, which was another reason he wanted to quit on the spot. But he couldn’t, for Phil’s sake. For some reason this volunteering meant a lot to Phil, and that was unfortunately more than enough for Dan to stick at it.

“Did she tell you to stay in here and not talk to anyone?” a voice interrupted Dan’s thoughts, and a middle-aged man had just entered the Grotto and was walking over to him, hand outstretched.

“She did indeed” Dan replied, trying not to let his anger show.

“She’s truly just a ball of sunshine isn’t she? I’m Tony” he introduced, and Dan shook his hand.

“You’re telling me,” they shared a laugh, “I’m Dan”

“Nice to meet you, Dan. But honestly, you’re allowed to speak if you want, I’m not going to stop you” Tony informed him, and Dan nodded, not quite sure what Tony’s purpose was.

In all fairness, without having on the Velcro-beard and red velvet suit, he could have had any job.

“Here we go, kid. Ready?” Tony asked, and Dan nodded again. Tony then shot a thumbs up to someone outside, and a second later Phil walked in, alongside a young mother and toddler. The child scrambled onto Tony’s lap, and then proceeded to tell him what they wanted for Christmas when prompted, whilst the mother took a multitude of photographs. Another elf was escorting the parents and children out of the Grotto, which really should have been Dan’s job, he was utterly useless. The woman had clearly took a very, very strong dislike to him.

After another four children and another unnecessary reprimand from the still nameless woman, Dan was sick of hearing the word ‘Frozen’ and the character names associated with it, so wandered over to the plastic window and gazed out of it, curious how long the queue was. It was shocking, the queue was winding, disappearing behind a corner. He probably should have expected it, living in a city, but it was still surprising that so many families had turned out for a simple Santa’s Grotto.

Dan found himself looking down the queue, and was surprised to see a girl of around four years of age already staring back at him. She had high pigtails and clutched a doll in her chubby hands, but she was smiling. Dan did his best to smile back and be a ‘happy, jolly elf’ as he was told to be – but was later told he was miserably failing – but he was sure it didn’t work. Not even a four-year old would be fooled by his forced smile. But he was determined to suffer through the shift, for Phil.

His gaze then landed on Phil, who was smiling widely as he chatted enthusiastically to various children, getting them excited for their visit with Santa. Seeing the children’s faces light up because of what Phil said made Dan smile, a small yet genuine smile, and when Phil noticed him staring and waved, he forced his smile wider, tried to make it seem like he was having a great time.

“Elf Dan,” Tony’s ‘Santa-esque’ voice called a little later, breaking Dan out of his thoughts again.

“Yes Santa?” Dan replied, keeping up the festive mirage for the child present even though he had never felt less Christmassy, almost all completely because of the unpleasant woman that kept milling around the Grotto for some reason.

“Would you mind fetching another sack of presents from the sleigh?” Tony asked, and nodded behind him upon seeing Dan’s confused expression.

“Of course, I’ll be back soon” he told Tony before slipping out of the Grotto’s exit, and walked over to the supply cupboard behind the Grotto and slyly getting another sack of pre-wrapped shoddy presents, making sure no exiting children would see, and slung it over his back as he re-entered, and placed the sack beside Tony’s chair.

“Thankyou, Elf Dan” the child on Tony’s lap, a boy of around age three, thanked Dan as Tony handed him a present, and Dan felt a little self-achieved. Which was pathetic, he knew, but it was the one job he’d had to do for the whole shift, and he had little else to be proud of.

Once the boy and his father had left, the woman – whom Dan narrowed down to being the boss, because there was no other logical explanation for her role – strutted back in.

“This is the last kid of your shift, I’ve already told your friend” she informed Dan, and without giving him a chance to respond, left the Grotto again. Tony laughed and pitched a sarcastic comment, and Dan forced himself to laugh, though he wasn’t listening at all. His mood was declining rapidly, and the last thing he wanted was for Phil to notice.

After a warning knock on the door, prompting Tony to pull the beard back up, Phil walked in, accompanied by the very child Dan had shared a (albeit forced) smile with earlier, and an equally happy-looking mother and father. The girl smiled at both Dan and Phil and thanked Phil graciously as she entered, and daintily scrambled onto Tony’s lap.

‘Last kid’ Phil mouthed silently, and Dan nodded, not bothering to mouth an ‘I know’ back. He then waved off Phil’s concerned ‘are you okay’ which gave off the opposite impression to what he would have liked.

“And what would you like for Christmas?” Tony asked the girl, and Dan was expecting yet another piece of Frozen merchandise to roll off of her adolescent tongue, but what he heard instead shocked everyone in the room.

“I want the elf to be happy” she whispered (loudly) into Tony’s ear, then clutched her doll closer to her chest, hugging it, Dan assumed to demonstrate what she meant.

“Which elf?” Tony whispered back, equally as loudly, causing the girl to giggle, before she turned her head and pointed towards Dan.

Her parents turned to him in surprise before aww’ing proudly, and Phil was surprised too, mouth slightly ajar at a four year old’s wish being for an eighteen year old stranger to be happy. Dan himself was in the most severe state of shock, understandably, and it seemed only a second later that the girl had shimmied off of Tony’s lap and had ran over to Dan, and was hugging his legs. After an encouraging nod from her parents he leant down and hugged her back.

“I hope you get happy” she whispered (loudly, again) into Dan’s ear, and Dan allowed himself to smile properly, and not because of the toddler’s misuse of grammar.

“Thankyou” he whispered back and hugged her momentarily tighter, before the girl walked over to her parents, collected her present from Tony and headed for the exit. But not before shouting a cheerful “merry Christmas!” back to everyone.

“Well, that’s us done!” Phil stated once the family had left, and Tony shook both of their hands before they left, bundled clothes in arms, back in the direction of the toilets, ignoring the many, many weird looks they received as they went. Dan even let himself scowl at the woman as they passed her, and it felt great.

Dan felt significantly happier once he was back in his own clothes, and felt better in himself as he walked out and sat between the sinks once again. Phil took his time, and Dan occupied himself with mindless apps on his phone, up until he heard the cubicle unlock.

“So what was that about before, with the girl?” Phil asked, and Dan shrugged, honestly having no idea.

“I guess it was obvious I didn’t want to be there” Dan replied, but Phil shook his head.

“It’s more than that. It was her, wasn’t it? Devil’s incarnate?” he asked, and Dan burst into laughter at Phil’s choice of comparison.

“Sure, let’s go with that” he agreed with a raised eyebrow, and Phil rolled his eyes jokily.

“But you know the girl’s not the only one that wants you to be happy, right?” Phil asked, resting a hand on Dan’s thigh, looking into his eyes.

“Then can we just go home?” Dan asked in response, and Phil smiled before leaning up for a kiss, which Dan more than happily reciprocated.

Phil nodded before taking Dan’s hand, and they left the shopping centre, the cold afternoon air soon whipping bitterly around their faces.

“I really love Christmas” Phil commented as they made their way back to his house.

“It’s literally this cold eighty percent of the time” Dan reminded him, and Phil hit him gently in the arm, insistent for Dan to ‘not to ruin the magic’.

“You know, it’s going to be so amazing, celebrating Christmas with you this year” Phil contemplated aloud when they walked up the front path, and Dan squeezed his hand.

“Wait, it’s Christmas? I never would’ve guessed, looking at your house” Dan joked as they entered the house, taking particular notice of how the lamppost light reflected from the large quantity of tinsel and the overly-decorated tree’s ornaments in the living room.

As soon as they were locked back in, Phil took no time in wrapping his arms around Dan’s neck again and pressing a teasing, feather-light kiss to his chapped lips. “What was it I said before, Howell?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, and it took a minute for him to recall what Phil was referring to.

But when lightning dawned, he blushed deeply, and they began ascending the staircase.

“Merry fucking Christmas, one and all” Dan muttered under his breath as they stumbled into Phil’s bedroom, hand-in-hand.

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed my first ever Christmas fic!! Thought i'd kick things off with a fluffball :) 
> 
> Please please let me know what you thought!
> 
> (Also i'm sorry for the title I know it's awful but I just find it so funny I had to keep it once I thought of it, that is my humour in a nutshell)


End file.
